Just Deserts (noun) "The punishment one deserves."
A woman wakes up bound in a trunk. Through a tiny slit in the backseat, she catches fleeting glimpses of her captors. And when the trunk opens, she sees the outside world. She knows she’s going to die but as the pieces of this twisted mystery start coming together in the claustrophobic space, we wonder: does she actually deserve what’s coming to her?
LINK TO THE PITCHDECK: https://canva.link/1jcza7b75mmfmn6
Pushing Boundaries of Cinema
Just Deserts is a dialogue-free short thriller shot entirely inside a car trunk. No dialogue. Just visual storytelling and sound design—the low hum of the car, gravel footsteps getting louder as they approach the car, and birds chirping over violent bloodshed in the blindingly bright sunlight.
With Just Deserts, the audience is directly in the claustrophobic puzzle. It's a female-led thriller where neither woman is a clear hero or villain. We want to show how quickly perception can shift, and how staying in that uncomfortable ambiguity can be the most disturbing thing of all.
The Team: Pure Grit & Professionalism
We are a crew built from bathroom flyers, reddit posts, word of mouth, and pure grit.
The exact same core team behind Delivery Driver, the short that swept the New Haven 48 hour Film Project and competed internationally at FIlmapalooza (Lisbon) in 2026, where it made it onto a Top 25 List out of 123 Global Winners by the co-chair of the festival review panel.
Now, we are reuniting with our incredible lead cast—Toni Belafonte, Sean Leser, and introducing the talented Indigo Phillips—to make something never been done before.
Why We Need 5k Right Now
The 1988 Jaguar has been secured (after Laura waded through vines to dig it out with an 84 year-old local dealer named Howie,) and we are ready to shoot August 8–9. Our timeline is tight because we are pushing for a final Sundance submission deadline on August 31.
Your donation will help us get a SAG Stunt Coordinator ($1,030/day,) and pay the cast, crew, and equipment on this shoot with unique needs. Abandoned 1988 Jaguars don't just grow on trees - they grow in vines (as indicated above.)
Your generous donation of $5 will result in a credits "Production Benefactor" shoutout, as well as a handwritten card from the colorful director. (Just text (774-487-0549) or email me your address laurafenney@gmail.com.) For $20, I'll invite you to the local screening and will give you a free drink (wine, beer, or a nonalcoholic beverage.)
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO PRIVATE DONORS WHO HELPED US RAISE $890 SO FAR. *Updates will be listed here.
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43663337
Director Website: https://www.laurafenney.com/
